One Track Mind

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Austin, Texas is no stranger to excellent music. With its SXSW and Austin City Limits festivals, the college town becomes the live music capital of the world twice a year. Whether that is an advantage or a hinderance for local, homegrown talent is debatable, but one band that has effectively broken through the city’s musical static is Brazos. Initially a vehicle for songwriter Martin Crane, Brazos soon became a full band, debuting with a pair of EPs in 2007. Since then, the group has opened for acts including Grizzly Bear and Vampire weekend while developing material for their first full-length effort, Phosphorescent Blues, slated for release on November 24th on Autobus Records. Brazos is currently on the first dates of a national tour in support of the album which will likely bring them to a venue in your neck of the woods.

There is a pleasant casualness to most of “Day Glo,” the sixth track on Phosphorescent Blues, a mood befitting the thematic concerns of sharing some cheap jug wine in the company of friends (“the kind that you don’t mind spillin’”). Indeed, the entire song carries the sheen of a lazy weekend afternoon, the sort of day where not doing much is something to do. Crane’s vocals, while strong, have something of the satisfied sigh about them, effortlessly ingratiating themselves with the hushed, brushed drums, acoustic guitar thrums, and tinkle of bells. About halfway through the piece, “Day Glo” introduces a heaving swirl of psych instrumentation, adding depth and a motif that underpins the remainder of the song, albeit in a far more subtle fashion.

Brazos have crafted an instantly loveable song in “Day Glo,” setting the stage for a distinctive debut that follows through on the promise of their first two EPs.